Continuous-process cooker.



F. P. SOUDER.

CONTINUOUS PROCESS COOKER. APPLICATION FILED MAY26.19,16- 1,21 5,1 2Patented Feb. 6, 19 1?.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F. P. SOUDER. CONTINUOU PROCESS COOKER.

Patented Feb. 6,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHET 2.

F. P. SOUDEH.

CONTINUOUS PROCESS COOKER.

APPLICATION man MAY 26. 1916.

1 ,2 l 1 Q I Patented Feb. 6; 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- F. P. SOUDEB. CONTINUOUS PROCESS COOKER. APPLICATIONFILED MAYZSI 1916- 1 ,2 51 Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

4- SHEETS-SHEET 4- trating details oi my invention.

FRANK P. SOUDER, 0F BRIDGETON, NEW? JERSEY.

CONTINUOUSPROCESS COGKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Feb. 6, 191'?- Applietion filed May 26, 1916. Serial No.100,046.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK, P. Sonora, a citizen of theUnited States, anda resident of Bridgeton, Cumberland county, New Jersey, have inventedcertain Improvements in Continuous-Process Cookers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to cookers of the type employed in thecanningairtwherein tilled cans of vegetables, fruit, and the like, are subjected toa suitable cooking or sterilizing ten'iperature while being conveyed orotherwise moved within a cooking receptacle, usually heated with steam.

The main object of my invention is to provide a structure in which I canecononuze space and secure efficient action upon a I large number ofcans; such cans being fed to and removed from the cooker continuously.

A further object of my invention is to distribute theheating medium. inthe present instance steam, directly adjacent the respective cans thelatter are moved through the cooker; and a further object of myinvention is to employ such steam distributing elements as can movingmembers. Another object of my invention is to provide troughs or panscapable of holding water and having tracks or ways upon which the cansmay move so that the cans. in addition to being heated by steam, will bemoved around in a hot water bath in which they will be partiallysubmerged.

These and other features of my invention are more fully describedhereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying draw inns. inwhich:

Figure 1. a sectional elevation of my improved cooker on the line II,Fig; 2;'

Fig. "2, is a sectional plan. view on the line Il'-H, Fig. t;

Fig. 3. is a sectioual plan view on the line ll'llll, Fig. l, and

Figs. 4 and are enlarged views illus- Differing somewhat from continuousprocess cookers of the usnaltype, my improved cooker uses both water andsteam at the same time, as there is no necessity for providing thecooker witl air-tight connections or providing fluid seals at the inletand exit points for the cans. It will be understood, however, that thecooker may be made steam-tight for the reception of such heating fluidunder pressure, if so desired.

/Vithin a suitable casing, which may con sist of cover and bottom plates1 and 2, re-

spectively, and acylindrical outer wall 3,

I provide a series of horizontally disposed annular troughs 4, which aresupported by brackets 5 and are adapted to receive water. ways-6 and 7for the cans are mounted in each of these troughs, and centrallydisposed with respect to the troughs and tracks, I mount a rotatingsteam delivery drum 8, carryingtubular arms 9 extending radially of thestructure and overlying the several troughs and the tracks within thesame.

This drum may have a steam inlet pipe or connection 10 projecting:through the cover plate ,1 of the casing structure, which pipe 10 may beconnected with a steam pipe leading from a source of supply, by asuitable slip joint (not shown). .The pipe 10 is preferably providedwith a sight oi-ler 10 whereby oil may be dropped at regular intervalsinto the body of steam within the steamrhamber suilicicnt in quantity topass out with such steam in a manner l'lOIQlIl-flftQl described to oilthe cans in. process of cooking whereby l amenabled to surface of suchcans rusting.

Secured to the steam inletconnection 10.

which rotates with the drum. 8. is aworm prevent the wheel 11. driven bya worm 12 on a suitable shaft 13 to which motion may be imparted by anysuitable means (not shown). whereby the drum and the tubular armsradiating therefrom maybe rotated for a purposeto be described.

This 'ggcaxrim; may be proportioned one to twenty-five; that is to say.the drum with its arms may be turned once for every twenty-fiverevolutions of the Worm. Generally speaking, the worm car will haveteeth equal in number to the number of cans on eaeh annular row of thecooker spaced by the pusher arms of the steam drum. and changes in thenumber of pushersand therefore in the number of cans! moved in the Aseries of eccentric or helical trackcooker in one complete revolution ofthe steam drum 8 may be made as desired.

'Within the casing I arrange several sets of trackways or can supports,each set be- .5 ing in the form ofa convolute or spiral; the tracks 6being arranged or disposed for moving the cans inwardly and the tracks 7being arranged or disposed for moving the cans-outwardly so that thecans in their 10 passage through the cooker will be subjected' to aninward or outward movement 'as well as a substantially circularmovement. By this means I am enabled to treat a larger number of cansthan would be possible with machines as ordinarily arranged, where thecans are moved in truly circular arcs and where one or more rows of cansare arranged .to be moved. The several trackways 6 and 7, are disposedin the troughs 4, which have walls at a suitable height to receive aquantity of water in whichthe cans will be partially submerged, andthese troughs may receive steam pipes 15 whereby such water may beheated. The trackways 6' and 7 for the cans are disposed above the steampipes, and they may be supported in any suitable mannor.

The rails of the tracks may be of suitable an angle iron, and theuppermost trackway 'of all, which first receives the cans, is arrangedto move the cans inwardly to an opening 16 in the upper trough adjacentand beyond the inner terminal of such track and through which the cansdrop onto the second track,

which is arranged to move the cans ou'twardly until another opening 17is reached a through which the cans drop onto the third trackway, whichis of the type ofthe first or uppermost track, and so on throughout thecooker.

The cans may be delivered to and removed from the machine by means ofrotary valve structures, as illustrated in Fig. 4, in which t5 casings18 and 19 are provided at top and bottom of the main cooking chamber,Within which are mounted thecvalves 20 and 21 on shafts 22 and 23; thevalves being provided with a plurality of pockets 24; in the presentinstance, three in number.

From-the main driving shaft 13, a chain or other belt 25 may extend to apulley 26 on the shaft 22 of the upper valve structure, and in likemanner a similar driving connec- 35 tion comprising a chain-or otherbelt 25 may extendto a pulley 26 on the shaft 23 of the lower valvestructure. The upper valve structure may be arranged to receive cansfrom a trough 27 and to deliver the same to the outer run of the uppertrackway 6 within the upper trough 4, where they are engagedsuccessively by the tubular arms 9 carried by the central steam drum 8,and moved around the trackway vportions 30 within said trough until theopening 13 at the inner end of said track is reached, whereupon the cansare discharged through the same to the trackway 7 inthe troughimmediately below.

As may be readily understood, it is necessary to elevate the cans out ofthe troughs in order to avoid discharge of the liquid therein, and forthis purpose the discharge ends of the respective tracks are arranged asillustrated in Fig. in which a portion 30 is shown as inclined upwardlyto the upper edge of the trough, and then extended downwardly as at 31so as to deliver the cans to'the receiving ends of the succeedingtrackway which; has an elevated portion 32 0 upon which the cans maydrop.

In Fig. l, the discharge ends of the track ways 7 are shown; the lowerone delivering the cans to the casing 19 of the lower valve 21, fromwhich the cans may be passed away 5 from the apparatus to any convenientpacking or storing point.

The trackways are so arranged that the cans will be readily moved ontothe elevated thereof by the tubular arms 9 when they are to bedischarged through the respective apertures 16 and 17 of the severaltrackways or to the lower valved discharge structure, and the receivingends of the succeeding tracks are slightly elevated as at 32 so as toprevent two cans entering any one of the spaces between. a pair of thearms 9.

In the present machine, I have illustrated six trackways; three, thosenumbered 6, being arranged to move the cans inwardly, and three, thosenumbered 7, being arranged to move the cans outwardly, although it willbe understood that a greater or less number of trackways may beemployed, depending upon the requirements, and the desired capacity forany given apparatus.

From the valved outlet leading from the lowermost track, the cans maydrop onto a delivery trough or runway by means of which they may be fedto any point or to a conveyer, or they may be delivered directly toa'conveyer.

The steam drum 8 which carries the ra dially disposed, tubular arms 9 isrotated by the means described, and the arms are provided on one sidewith perforations 35 op-' posite the several runs of cans and throughwhich steam is ejected as the structure ro- I tates. These arms contactwith the cans for the purpose of moving the same, and the jets of steammay impinge upon the cans with which the arms. are in contact, or suchjets may be delivered rearwardly, as may be desiredor necessary for theproper heating of the cans. The perforated ends of these tubular armsare preferably separate sections suitably secured to the main members oas troughs and cause the same to boil.

attached to the drum by couplings 36 so that they may move together, andby preference said tubular arms are connected to annular bands 37 and 38whereby they may be maintained. in proper spaced position and heldagainst possible distortion or displacement due to the weight of thecans which they are moving.

lt may be readily understood that once the cans are introduced into thecooking apparatus, they are carried through the same automatically,following the helical or convolute traclm ays and dropping from one tothe other as they passthrough the apparatus.

The drum 8 is provided at its lower end with a central shaft or pin39mounted in a suitable step-bearing 40, which may have a hardened bushingreceiving said pin and in axial alineiuent with the upper tubular steamconnection which is also mounted in a hearing 41 to insure the desiredrotative movement to effect the travel of the cans. The shaft or pin 39may be provided with oil apertures 42, as shown, receiving their supplyvia av pipe 43 from an oil cup 44.

The pipes 15 in the troughs 4 receive steam from a piped?) connected toany suitable source of supply, and said pipes are perforated at 15 sothat steamdischarged from the same may enter the water in said Therewill therefore be no water'of condensation to be taken care of. In caseevaporation from the troughs and the amount of water carried oil by thecans is not sutlicicnt to prevent overflow from. the troughs; suitableoverflow pipes 4-6 may be tonnectcd to the same and lead to a commondrain pipe 47 that will insure maintenance of the water at the desiredheight.

claim: l i

1; In aicooker, the combination of a casing, a rotating steam chamberwithin the same, a series of successively coinn'uinicating spacedtroughs suitably fixed within the casing, pushcrs carried by therotating steam chamber, means for feeding the cans from one trough to alower succeeding trough, means For feeding the cans to the track'vvay ofthe uppermost trough, and means for dis charging the cans from thelowermost trough.

2. In a cooltcr. the combination of a casdelivery of the cans from onetrough to a lower succeeding trough, means for coding ing, a rotatingsteam chamber centrally dis whereby the cans the cans to the trackway ofthe uppermost trough, and means for-discharging the cans from thelowermost trough.

3. In a cooker, the combination of a casing, a rotating-steam chamberwithin the same, a series of successively communicat in spaced troughssuitably fixed within the casing and surrouiuling the rotating steamchamber, helical trackwuys mounted in said troughs, radial steam pipeshaving exit orifices carried by the rotating steam chamber, inclinedends for the respective traclnvays whereby the cans may be deliveredfrom one trough to the traclnvays of alower succeeding trough, means forfeeding the cans to .the trackway of the uppermost trough, and

means for discharging the cans from the lowermost trough.

4-. In a cooker, the combination of a. casing. a plurality of annulartroughs disposed within the casing, helical or con volute tracks mountedwithin the respective troughs, said troughs adapted to contain water,"means for heating said water, and means for moving the cans around thetroughs and discharging the cans from one trough to a succeeding lowertrough, said means including elevated portions at the receiving anddischarge ends of the helical tracks.

In a cooker, the combimition of a casing, a plurality of annular troughsdisposed within the casing. helical or con volute tracks mounted withinthe respective troughs, said troughsadapted to contain water, means forheating said water, a rotatable steam chamber within the casing, armscarried by' said steam chamber for moving the cans and for dischargingthe cans from one trough to a succeeding trough, and elevated portionsatthe discharge and receiving ends of the helical tracks. v

6. In a cooker, the combination of an inclosing casing, aplurality ofannular troughs disposed within the casing, helical 0r convolute tracksmounted within each of sal'd troughs, said troughs adapted to containwater, steam pipes in said troughs for heating said water, a rotatablesteam chamber within the casing, hollow steam conveying-arms radiatingfrom said chamber for moving the cans along the tracks, means fordischarging the cans from one trough to h succeeding lower trough, saidarms having steam outlet orifices, elevated portions at the dischargeends of the helical tracks can be lifted from the troughs by the radialarms, and elevated portions at the receiving ends of" the tracks uponwhich the cans are delivered.

7. The combination, in a cooker, of a casing, a plurality of troughsmounted therein, helical trackways disposed in said troughs, arotatingsteam drum within the casing. and steam pipes rauliating tromsa'id drumand cans to the succeeding troughs and mounted in said trough,

acting aspushers, said steam pipes having orifices whereby steam may bedischarged upon the cans traveling along the trackways.

8. The combination, in a cooker, of a casing, a plurality of troughsmounted therein, helical tracks disposed in said troughs, means forfeeding cans to said tracks a rotating steam drum, steam pipes radiatingfromsaid drum and acting as pushers for moving the'cans along saidtracks, and rings connecting and staying the outer ends of said pipes.

9. The combination, in a cooker, of a plurality of troughs adapted tocontain water, helical trackways mounted in said troughs along which thecans may travel, means for moving the cans along said trackways,elevated sections at the ends of said trackways whereby the cans may beguided out of the same, inclined runways for the passage of trackways,and elevated portions at the receiving ends of the trackWays upon whichthe cans are delivered.

10. In a cooker, the combination of a casing, a rotating steam chambe ordrum within the same, a tra'ckway suitably fixed within the casing,tubular pushers carried by the rotating drum and discharging steamtherefrom adjacent the cans, and means for feedingioil to said steam fordischarge upon the cans with the steam.

11. In a cooker, the combination of a casing, a rotating steam chamberor drum centrally disposed within the same, a rotating steam pipeconnected to said drum, a trough suitably fixed within the casing, atrackway tubular pushers carried by the rotating steam chamber tomovecans along said trackway, s'aid pushers communicating with saidsteam drum and being perforated whereby steam may be dischargedtherefrom adjacent the cans, an oil discharging device carried by therotating steam pipe whereby oil may be delivered with steam adjacent thecans, means for feeding cans to the trackway, and means for dischargingcans therefrom.

12. In a cooker, the combination of a casing, a rotating steam chamberor drum within the same, a trough suitably fixed within the casing andsurrounding the retating drum, a helical trackway mounted in saidtrough, radially disposed steam pipes having exit orifices carried bythe rotating drum, said radial pipes contacting with the cans to movethe same, an inclined end for the trackway whereby the cans may bedelivered from the trough, means for feeding the cans to the trackway,and means for discharging the cans received from said trough.

13. In a cooker, the combination of a casing, a plurality of annulartroughs disposed emma within the casing, helical or convolute tracksmounted within the respective troughs, said troughs adapted to containwater, apertured steam pipes connected with a suitable source of supplyfor heating said water, and means for moving the-cans around the tracksWithin the troughs and discharging the cans from one trough to asucceeding lower.

trough, said means including elevated portions at the receiving anddischarge ends of the helical tracks.

- 14. In, a cooker, the combination of a casing, a plurality of annulartroughs disposed within the casing, helical or convolute tracks mountedwithin the respective troughs, said troughs adapted to contain water,apertured steam pipes connected with a suitable source of supply forheating said water, a rotatable steam drum within the casing, tubularsteam discharging arms carried by said steam drum for moving the cansand for discharging the cans from one trough to a succeeding lowertrough, and elevated portions at the discharge and receiving ends of thehelical tracks whereby the cans are raisedout of and loweged into thebodies of water'within the troughs.

15. In acooker, the combination of an inclosing casing, a plurality' ofannular troughs disposed within the casing, helical or convolute trackways mounted within each of said troughs, said troughs adapted tocontain water, apertured steam pipes in said troughs for heating saidwater, a rotatable steam drum within the casing, hol low steam conveyingarms radiating from said drum for moving the cans along the trackways,said arms being apertured whereby steam may be discharged therefromadjacent the cans, means for discharging the cans from one trough to asucceeding lower trough elevated portions at the discharge ends of thehelical trackways whereby the cans may be moved out of the troughs bythe radial arms. elevated portions at the receiving ends of the tracksupon which the cans are delivered, and means for oiling the cans as theyare moved through the cooking apparatus. a

16. The combination, in a cooker. of a casing, a trough mounted'therein,a helical trackway disposed in said trough, a rotating steam drum withinthe casing. steam pipes radiating from said'dru-m and acting as pushers,said steam pipes having orifices whereby steam may be discharged upon oradjacent the cans traveling along the trackway, and means fordischarging oil simultaneously with the steam.

17. The combination, in a cooker, of a casing, a plurality of troughsmounted therein, helical trackways disposed in said troughs, a rotatingsteam drum, steam pipes radiating from said drum and actingas pushers,

said steam pipes having orifices whereby steam may be discharged uponofadja'cent the cans traveling alongth'e "trackways, and

a plurality of concentrically disposed rings I posed within the same,'atrough suitably fixed Within the casing, a helical tracltway mounted insaid trough, pushers carried by' the rotating steam chamber to move cansalong said trackway, means for feeding cans to the trackway, and meansat the end of the trackway for effecting delivery of the cans from saidtrough.

20. The combination, in a cooker, of a casing, a trough mounted therein,a traclo way disposed in said trough, a rotating steam drum within thecasing, steam-pipes having exit orifices radiating from said drum andacting as pushers, means for feeding cans to said trackway, and meansfor cfi'ecting delivery of the cans from the end of said trackway.

21. In a cooker, the combination of a casv ing, a rotating steam chamberWithin the same, a trough suitably fixed Within the casing andsurrounding the rotating steam chamber, .a trackway mounted in saidtrough, radial. steam pipes having exit orifices carried by the rotatingsteam chamber, means for feeding cans to said trackway, and an inclinedend for the trackway whereby the cans may be delivered therefrom.

The combination, in a cooker, of a casing, a trough mounted therein, ahelical trackway disposed in said trough, a rotating steam drum withinthe casing, and steam pipes radiating from said drum and acting aspushers, said steam pipeshaving orifices whereby steam may be dischargedupon or adjacent the cans traveling along the trackway.

28. In a cooker, the combination'of a casing, an annular trough disposedwithin the casing, a helical track mounted within said trough, saidtrough adapted to contain water, means for heating said water, and meansfor moving the cans around the trough and discharging the sametherefrom, said means including an elevated portion at the discharge endof the helical track.

24. In a cooker, thecombination of a casing, an annular trough disposedwithin the casing, u helical track mounted within said tion at thedischarge end of the helical track.

25. In a cooker, the combination of an inclosing casing, an annulartrough disposed the casing, a helical track mounted Within said trough,said trough adapted to.

contain Water, steam pipes in said trough for heating said water, arotatable steam.

chamber within the casing, hollow steam conveying arms radiating fromsaid chamber for moving the cans along the track, means for feeding cansto the trough, said arms having steam outlet orifices, and an elevatedportion at the discharge end of the helical track whereby the cans canbe lifted from the trough by the radial arms.

26. The combination, in a cooker, of a casing, a trough mounted therein,a trackway disposed in said trough, a rotating steam drum, steam pipesradiating from said. drum and actin as ushers said steam pipes havingorifices whereby steam .may be discharged upon or adjacent the canstraveling along the trackway, and a concentrically disposed ringconnecting and staying the'outer ends of said radial pipes.

27. In a cooker, the combination of a casing, an annular trough disposedwithin the casing, a helical track mounted within said trough, saidtrough adapted to contain water, means for heating said water, means formoving the cans around the trough and discharging the same therefrom,said means including an elevated portion at the discharge end of thehelical track, and an overflow pipe leading from said trough whereby aconstant level of water may be maintained therein. I

28. In a cooker, the combination of an inclosing casing, anannulartrough disposed within the casing, a helical. track mounted within saidtrough, said trough adapted to contain water, apertured steam pipesconnected with asuitable source of supply and located in said trough forheating said water, a rotatable steam chamber within the casing, hollowsteam conveying arms ,radiatv ing from said chamber for moving the cansalong the track, means for feeding cans to the trough, said arms havingsteam outlet orifices, an elevated portion at the discharge end of thehelical track whereby the cans can be lifted from the trough by theradial arms, and an overflow pipe leading from said trough whereby aconstant level. of Water may be maintained therein.

29. In a cookenthe combination of a was ing, asteam chamber journaledwithin the same. means for rotating said steam chamber, a troughsuitably fixed within the cassteam chamber, a trough fixed within the 10ing, means for feeding cans to said trough, eas i 11g,"a' helicaltraekway mounted in said pusher-s for said cans carried by the rotat.tr'ough, radial arms carried by the steam ing'steam chamber,- andprovisionfor pen chamber and'rotating therewith to push mittingdischarge of the cans from said cans along said trackway, means forfeed-'- trough. V ing cans to the trackway, and means at the 15 30. In acooker, the combination of a casend of the trackway for'eff'ectingdelivery ing, a steam chamber centrally journaled of the cans-from saidtrough. within the same, means for rotating said FRANK P, SQUDER. I

